Front load refuse collection vehicles are in wide use in large-scale residential refuse collection. Typically, front load refuse collection vehicle have a front crew cab, a large refuse compartment behind the cab, and a pair of hydraulic-powered lift forks extending in front of. the truck which are adapted to be inserted into corresponding slots or sleeves associated with a relatively large refuse collection container. The forks are then able to lift the refuse container over the front of the truck, invert container, and invert the container in order to dump its contents into the refuse compartment behind the cab.
For residential and small-scale refuse receptacle collection, the front load collection vehicle often carries the collection container in front of the vehicle as it moves along the street. This configuration allows the operator to dump smaller residential receptacles directly into the collection container before the containers dumped into the collection compartment of the vehicle. Typically, this has been a manual operation, with the operator parking the refuse collection vehicle near the receptacle, leaving the cab, and manually lifting and emptying the receptacle into the collection container. As can appreciated, this is unduly time consuming, labor intensive, and can lead to operator injury due to the repeated lifting of the often heavy refuse receptacles.
As a consequence, hydraulic receptacle lifters have been mounted directly to the collection container. Such collection containers with attached hydraulic lifters have been available from Perkins Manufacturing Company, assignee of the present application, since at least 1990. Other examples of collection containers with attached hydraulic lifters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,984, which is incorporated by reference herein.
More recently, hydraulic lifters have been mounted on collection containers in a manner so that the lift can be mechanically moved into engagement with the refuse receptacle, rather than requiring the operator to move the refuse receptacle to the lifter, thus further reducing the labor required by the operator. Such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,639,201 and 5,607,277, which are also incorporated by reference herein.
While the use of the systems described above has resulted in savings of time and labor, the known systems still have several deficiencies. Because hydraulic connections are typically required between the hydraulic system of the collection vehicle and the carrier-mounted lifter, these connections have been vulnerable to leakage and assorted breakdowns, requiring additional maintenance due, in part to the relatively large range of motion encountered by the container as it has moved over the cab to dump the contents thereof. The repeated lifting places additional stress of the hydraulic system and lines that has also required, in some instances, special designs to prevent the interference between the receptacle lifter and the lift forks for fork lift system of the collection vehicle.
Additionally, some of the container-mounted lifters are compatible only with a specific style of residential refuse receptacle, and are unable to handle containers of different styles. This can result in requiring several collection containers with different lifters for different collection routes, which results in added capital expense for additional equipment.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved refuse collection vehicle and refuse receptacle lifter that results in more efficient methods of refuse collection.
A further object is to provide a refuse collection vehicle having an intermediate collection container with a refuse receptacle lifter that does not require a hydraulic connection between the vehicle and the collection container and the lifter.
Subsidiary objects are to provide a refuse receptacle lifter that can be used for lifting a variety of different style receptacles and to provide a lifter assembly that can be stored in an out-of-the-way position when not in use.